Cabinet

ABSTRACT

Cabinets are formed by a frame enclosing shelves. The frame has a plurality of openings in the front face of the cabinetry to allow access to the contents of the cabinet. The openings are covered by doors connected to the frame by hinges. Art work covers the doors and frames of the cabinet and is arranged so that the art work is not distorted or interrupted by the division of the cabinetry front between doors and frame. The artwork extends across the door onto a frame in such a manner as to give the impression that it is a single piece of art. When viewed from a distance, the viewer sees the complete work of art even though the doors are operable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to cabinetry.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Cabinetry, particularly those used in kitchens, are often thecenterpiece of a house. The cabinets, counter tops and flooring for akitchen represent the largest expenditure for any room in the house.These features are permanently attached and are chosen based as much ontheir esthetic appeal as their functional qualities.

Cabinets are designed to last for many years. Given their expense,homeowners wish to choose cabinets that add to the visual attractivenessof a room, particularly a kitchen, for a long time. Cabinets are usuallymade from natural or simulated wood and are available in many differentcolors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide cabinets that are functionaland esthetically appealing.

It is another object of the invention to provide cabinets having anappearance of an uninterrupted work of art.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide cabinets having awork of art that extends across the cabinet doors and frame.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide cabinets that are awork of art without reducing their functionality.

These and other objects of the invention become apparent to one ofordinary skill in the art after reviewing the disclosure of theinvention.

A cabinet has a frame defining an enclosure. Openings are formed in theframe for accessing the contents of the enclosure. Doors are connectedto the frame and cover the openings. A design on the doors and framemaintains continuity across the doors and frame to give the appearanceof a single picture.

The cabinets are formed by a frame enclosing shelves. The frame has aplurality of openings in the front face of the cabinetry to allow accessto the contents of the cabinet. The openings are covered by doorsconnected to the frame by hinges. Art work covers the doors and framesof the cabinet and is arranged so that the art work is not distorted orinterrupted by the division of the cabinetry front between doors andframe. The artwork extends across the door onto a frame in such a manneras to give the impression that it is a single piece of art. When viewedfrom a distance, the viewer sees the complete work of art even thoughthe doors are operable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a representative example of cabinets having a work of artextending across the doors and cabinet frame.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the invention for frameless cabinets.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

The cabinetry of the invention is shown in FIG. 1. The invention appliesto a single cabinet or a plurality of joined cabinets 10 which make up asingle unit. The cabinets 10 may be, for example, floor cabinetssupporting a counter top and/or wall cabinets (as shown) that aremounted on a wall above the counter tops. The cabinets 10 of theinvention may be made out of any material normally used. This includes,but is not limited to, natural and synthetic wood, composite wood,plastic, and the like. The cabinets have a front frame 60 with aplurality of vertically extending frame segments 61-67. In theembodiment of the cabinetry shown 10, the cabinets are provided withpairs of doors 21-22; 31-32; 41-42; 51-52 as well as pantry doors 53 andthe like. The cabinets 10 may also have draws (not shown). Althoughcabinets are conventionally provided with doors provided in pairs, theinvention may be applied to any type of cabinet. In FIG. 1, the frame 60and cabinet doors 21-22; 31-32; 41-42; 51-52 combine to create the totalsurface area of the cabinet's front face 70, 71.

The front face 70, 71 of the cabinets 10 is provided with continuous artwork. The art work may be original art work or reproduction of existingart work or any continuous other design. It may be of any type such asabstract or representational. In FIG. 1, the design is shown applied tothe cabinets' front face 70, 71 for clarity purposes. In use, thedesign, as shown, extends across the exposed vertical frame members61-67 for extent of the cabinetry including exposed frames and mayincluded such other features as draws and the like. The design isapplied to the front face 70, 71 of the cabinetry 10 as, for example, bya painting, base relief, molded, sculpted, or any other means and isuninterrupted across the viewable portion of the front 70, 71 of thecabinetry 10 despite the fact that the front face 70, 71 is formed, forexample, as shown, by a plurality of doors 21, 22, 31, 32, 41, 42, 51,52 and the frame 60. It is an essential aspect of this invention thatthe design not only cover, be disposed across a door but that it extendsacross a door and part of the visible frame between the doors so as topresent a continuous design. The design may also continue from the frontto the exposed sides (not shown) of the cabinets box 10. Thus, thisuninterrupted design, as illustrated in the example of FIG. 1 as acontinuous balloon design, extends across the pairs of doors 21-22,31-32, 41-42, 51-52. The design extends across the exposed frames 60-67.In this way, the design is continuous across the exposed frame membersand doors and, if visible, cabinet draws (not shown). It also any extendto any other across the exposed surfaces, even though those surfacespresent, for example, cabinet doors and frame members so that the designdraws together the front face of the cabinet.

FIG. 2 shows a frameless cabinet 80. In a frameless cabinet 80, thehinges are concealed and the doors cover the entire frame. The doorsabut one another including adjacent pairs of doors so that no frame isvisible. Even though such doors hide the frame, there are clearlyvisible and defined by their marginal edges.

In FIG. 2 the frameless cabinet 80 the door construction provides pairsof doors 121-122, 123-124, 125-126, hiding the frame (partially shown inphantom 128). Thus, the frame 128 is not visible when the doors areclosed. Adjacent pairs of doors 121-122, 123-124, 125-126 abut oneanother with minimal gaps to permit the doors to be hingedly opened andclosed. Thus, to the observer, with the doors closed, what is clearlyvisible int the front surface is the adjacent doors.

To purpose of this invention is minimize or maker virtually invisibleany interruption in the cabinet visible surface, thereby reducing ormaking almost invisible the existence of doors, draws, or the like. Thecabinets 80 becomes, instead, a hanging design first and a cabinetsecond. The design may be a work of art or abstract design or the likeand may be forme on or in or adhered to a sheet of material of the typedescribed. As previously described, the design may be formed on orattached to the visible front surface by, for example, a base reliefcarved into the doors (and, where visible, the frame), molded onto or inthe surface or adhered to the surface. A very small space is between anypair of doors so that the doors may pivot open. The same is true for anyother exposed surface, such as draws. Additionally, the artwork mayextend from the front continuously to an exposed or exposed sides 130(one side is shown) of the cabinet box 80.

The purpose of this invention is to dispose the design so that it iscontinuous and extends across various doors and, if visible, the cabinetframe, draws, and the like and may be extended to any exposed side ofthe cabinets box so as to make the combined appearance of the edges ofclosed doors and draws be diminished or practically invisible whenviewed as an overal presentation of the design. Thus, the viewer seesthis single design despite the fact that the viewed front surface ismade of many different components such as the doors and draws whichremain operable.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been described,variations and modifications would be apparent to one of ordinary skillin the art without departing from the scope of the invention. Theinvention covers such modifications and variations.

1. A cabinet, comprising: a frame defining an enclosure, openings in the front of said frame for providing access to said enclosure, means for accessing the interior of the cabinet attached to said frame to operable cover said openings and comprising at least two pair of adjacent closures which, when closed, present visually perceived edge lines of said closures, and a continuous design upon and extending across said pairs of adjacent closures such that said design has the effect of reducing the effect of the perceived edge lines.
 2. The cabinet of claim 1, wherein said two pair of closures comprise doors.
 3. The cabinet of claim 1, wherein said pair of closures comprise draws.
 4. The cabinet of claim 1, wherein wherein said frame is visually perceived between and separating said adjacent pairs of closures; said design being disposed across said visual frame and said adjacent closures.
 5. The cabinet of claim 4, wherein said two pair of closures comprise doors.
 6. The cabinet of claim 4, wherein said pair of closures comprise draws.
 7. The cabinet of claim 1, further comprises at least one visibly exposed side at an angle to said front of the cabinet; said continuous design extending across said front and onto said side.
 8. The cabinet of claim 4, further comprises at least one visibly exposed side at an angle to said front of the cabinet; said continuous design extending across said front and onto said side.
 9. A cabinet, comprising a frame defining an enclosure, openings in said frame for accessing the interior of said enclosure, means for enclosing said openings attachable to said frame and which are operable to cover said openings, and a continuous design on said enclosing means, said design appearing as a single picture when said means for enclosing cover said openings.
 10. The cabinet of claim 9, wherein said frame is at least partially visible with said enclosing means covering said openings; said picture appearing upon said enclosing means and said frame.
 11. The cabinet of claim 10, wherein said enclosing means comprises at least two pair of adjacent doors; said picture appearing upon said doors and said frame exposed with said doors covering access to said interior.
 12. The cabinet of claim 10, wherein said design is a base relief.
 13. The cabinet of claim 10, wherein said design is molded into said exposed front surface.
 14. The cabinet of claim 10, wherein said design is attached to said exposed front surface.
 15. A method of making a cabinet, comprising providing a cabinet frame, providing covering means to enclose the cabinet to thereby provide at least a visible front surface, and forming a continuous design on the exposed front surface.
 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising in the step of providing covering means, providing at least two pair of cabinet doors.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein in the step of providing covering means, providing at least two cabinet draws.
 18. The method of claim 15, wherein in the step of forming a design comprises providing that the design covers the cabinet doors and the visible frame with the doors closed.
 19. The method of claim 15, wherein in the step of forming a design comprises carving the design into all exposed surfaces.
 20. The method of claim 15, wherein providing a visibly exposed side surface; in the step of providing the design, providing the continuous design extending from the front surface and throughout the exposed side surface. 